Private investigator Cristal Group swoops in to take French cyberspecialist Celteam mid-deal

Cristal snaps up French intelligence Africa specialists 

Kevin Rivaton's corporate intelligence firm Cristal Group has taken on a number of French intelligence Africa specialists and opened an office in Mauritius with a view to growing its business on the continent.

Acustek distributes surveillance countermeasures from Dublin to Dubai 

Ireland's Acustek, which markets surveillance countermeasure solutions, has cut its ties with its Russian past and is now looking to the United Arab Emirates, where it is due to open an office soon.

• LYONS/PARIS - Corporate intelligence operator Cristal Group buys into dark web investigator Aleph Networks.

• SAN FRANCISCO - Bishop Garrison, Paravision's new government affairs ambassador.
  

• ABU DHABI - Will Peng Wu takes charge of new G42 investment fund.
  

• DENVER - Former White House Internet specialist Daniel Weitzner quits Palantir's privacy and civil liberties council.

Cristal Group hunts Pegasus with ex-hacker Patrice Guichard's help 

Kevin Rivaton's Cristal Group, which took over former French intelligence service hacker Patrice Guichard's Celteam in November, is developing countermeasures against NSO Group's Pegasus and other spyware.

French intelligence and army ponder spy plane hire from CAE 

As France begins to phase out the use of its Transall C-160 Gabriel planes, the air force and external intelligence service are considering an option to lease an high capacity aircraft from CAE Aviation, a provider that has long served France's airborne interception (SIGINT) missions.

Avascent takes off into New Space focussing on intelligence 

US specialist in due diligence on high-profile companies, Avascent, has been commissioned to carry out an assignment on a French start-up that is working in space intelligence. The request reflects the race for funds in which this niche market's main players are currently engaged.

Arrest of French cybersecurity agency volunteer calls cyber ransom negotiation into question 

As in the "real world", the payment of ransoms in cyberspace is of concern to governments and insurance companies, as the recent arrest of a French 'ethical' hacker has highlighted.

Tehtris opens doors to fellow French cybersecurity operators 

After having long kept its distance from the rest of France's cybersecurity community, Tehtris has decided to open up by creating Ecosystem, a partnership programme aimed mainly at companies working closely with French public bodies.

Former DGSE technical chief Yves Mathian joins Cristal Group 

The Lyon-based financial investigation firm Cristal Credit, founded by former lawyer turned corporate intelligence specialist Kevin Alili-Rivaton, recently appointed Yves